Toilet seat and the like



Oct. 22, 1940;

A. F. Ho R TOILET SEAT AND THE LIKE Filed larch 16, 1940 2 Sheets-SheetINVENTOR ATTORNEY A. mom 2,219,044-

TOILET SEAT AND THE LIKE Fil'd larch 16, 1940 i INVEN'YTOR BY Y "4ATTORN Ys Patented Oct. 22, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFics Claims.

This invention relates primarily to toilet seats and has for one of itsobjects the provision of a construction wherein the seat after use iscovered, washed, sterilized by heat and then cooled, so as to be in aclean and sterile condition after each operation. Inasmuch as the covermoves to closed position after each operation and remains closed, thedanger of contamination while the apparatus is standing idle is removed.I

More specifically my invention comprehends a seat having thegeneralcharacteristics above referred to in which the operation of uncoveringthe seat for use is initiated manually, as by depressing a pedal oroperating a pushbutton, the cover opening thereafter automatically.After use the cover returns to initial position and remains in thatposition, the seat after closure of the cover being washed, sterilizedand cooled.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated one embodimentof my invention:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view showing the apparatus in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the cover open;

Fig. 3 is a plan view partly in section with the seat cover closed;

Fig. 4 ,is a fragmentary longitudinal section through Fig. 3; I

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the cams, switches and valves of theapparatus; and

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram of the cults employed in the equipment.

Referring to the drawings in detail: 2 designates a toilet bowl to whichmy invention is applied.

Resiliently mounted on the bowl 2 is a drain pan 4 of metal, forinstance. This pan is in the form of an annulus resting upon rubber pads6 or other resilient mounting, upon the bowl 2, the inner edge of thisannulus being bent downwardly so that the pan will drain into the bowl.

8 is the seat which is to be sterilized, etc. This seat is of metal andis hollow or arch-shaped in cross section, as seen in Fig. 4.

45 Intermediate the seat 8 and the pan 4 I provide a water pipe H) whichextends from the rear part of the assembly and is bent around, asillustrated in Fig. 3, to the general contour of the seat. This pipe isprovided with perforations in its upper face, as shown at l2, so thatwhen water is supplied to the pipe it will spray the lower side of theseat 8. The function of this spray is to cool the seat after thecompletion of the sterilizing operation.

Overlying the seat 8 is a cover [4 which is electric ciradapted to beraised and lowered, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, for example.Mounted on the lower side of this cover is a water pipe [8, beni; to thegeneral contour of the cover and provided in its lower side withperforations so that when 5 water is supplied to the pipe the upper faceof the seat 8 will be flushed or washed. This is shown in Fig. 4. Theflushing pipe I6 is connected by any suitable form of coupling H tofixed pipe 20, so as to permit the pipe It to raise and lower with 10the cover.

Mounted on the pan 4 to the rear of the seat and cover 8 and I4 is ahousing 22. Within this housing is an electric driving motor 24 by whichthe cover I4 is raised and lowered. In axial 15 alignment with the motor24 is a rotary cam cylinder 26, carrying earns 28, 20 and 32 on itsperiphery. The cam cylinder is driven by the motor 24 through gear train34. The shaft 36 of the cam cylinder is mounted in bearings provided 20in uprights 38, resting, for example, upon the drain pan 4. One of themembers 38 is provided with an offset 40 which carries a pinion 42. Thispinion meshes at intervals with teeth 44 provided on the inside of thecam cylinder 26. The length 25 of the rack provided by the teeth 44 issuch that the pinion 42 makes one revolution only for each revolution ofthe cam cylinder.

Carried on the face of the pinion 42 is a crank 46 pivotally connectedby link 48 to a raising and 30 lowering lever 50, the rear end of whichis pivoted at 52; the lever extending forward beneath the cover H towhich it is pivotally connected at 54.

Extending into the housing 22 is another lever 56 pivoted at its rearend at 58. This lever which 35 may be termed a control lever alsoextends forward beneath the cover 14 to which it is pivotally connectedat 60.

As will be apparent from the drawings, this linkage and lever system issuch that upon rotation of the pinion 42 clockwise, as viewed in Fig.

4, for approximately one-half revolution, the cover l4 will be movedrearwardly, its rear end swinging upwardly at the same time until thecover has assumed the broken line position of Fig. 4. In this raisingmovement the face of the cover is always toward the front of theequipment, which is desirable from the standpoint of appear ance andusage. In this movement of the cover it will be appreciated that thelifting is done by the lever 50, the lever 56 acting as a control leverto pivot the rear end of the cover 14 upwardly, until, as abovementioned, the cover assumes a vertical position with the front of thecover facing forwardly.

'0! the bowl I provide a pedal 18. Connected to this pedal is a pivotedlever it to which is connected a wire 80 extending rearwardly along theside of the bowl and upwardly into the housing 22 where it is attachedto a spring metal plate 82 forming part of the motor switch 62. The liveplates of this switch are designated 84 and 88, re-

spectively. The plate 82 carries a depending latch arm 88 adapted, whenthe plate 82 is depressed, to engage a latch 85. Justabove this latch 89the switch 62 is provided with a leaf 9!) having a foot 92 at its freeend. This foot is adapted to be engaged by the motor cam' 29 on the camcylinder 26.

The parts of the apparatus are shown with the electric circuits open,and with the water valves (it and 8% closed. The cover it is closed. 7

In operation the pedal 18 is depressed, fie

I the plate 82 of the motor switch closing the circult of the motor 24through the switch leaves 8d and 86. This same operation latches theswitch closed through latch arm 88 and latch 89. The circuit for themotor ztnow being closed the cam cylinder 25 will be driven in aclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5. It will be noted from thisfigure of the drawings that the pinion $2 is in engagement with theteeth 64, so that the pinion too will begin to rotate in a clockwisedirection and through the lever and linkage system above described therear end of the cover I will begin to swing upwardly. Almost at thebeginning of the rotation of the cam cylinder 26 the motor cam 28 willraise thefoot 92, increasing contact pressure between as and 88.Thereafter cam 28 pushes 823 off 89, 92 keeping 84 and 88 closed so asto maintain the motor circuit closed. The cam cylinder, thereiore, willcontinue rotating until the foot 92 of the leaf 96 drops into the dwell94 of the cam, whereupon the motor switch will automatically open.

At this time the cover M has been raised to open position as indicatedin broken lines in The seat 8 is now ready for use. When load is appliedto the seat a member 98 carried thereby mores downwardly, the seat beingresiliently mounted, as above explained, until the hooked end of [themember 96 comes under the lever l8 to which the wire 80 is attached.Accordingly as soon as theload is takenoif the seat the latter willspring back to its original position, the momentary engagement of themember 98 with the lever 78 again closing and latching the motor switch52 in the same way the switch was closed i in the first instance bydepression of the pedal it. The camcyl-inder will again stant rotatingto initiate {the return of the cover 65 to its initial closed position.The motor switch will remain latched in closed position until the dwell9G in the cam has passed from -beneath the font at of the leaf on andthe active face of the cam rides under the foot 92 unlatching to butraising 92 to hold 88 and 38 in contact, to nminrtiain the motor circuitclosed. It is to be noted that the end of the member 9'6 which engagesthe end of the lever i8 when the load is removed from the seat isadapted to disengage the lever so [that the two mem'' bars 96 and 18will then be in the position shown in Fig. 4, the 7 motor switch,however, being latched closed.

The active face of the cam 28 now maintaining the motor switch closedthe cam cylinder 26 will continue to rotate, until finally the cover i4is fully closed. In other words, the pinion 82 has made one completerevolution, first to open the cover and then to close it and is now outof engagement with the teeth 44.

The cam cylinder 26 finally reaches the position where the water controlcam 30 engages the stem of the valve 68, opening the valve to admitwater to the flushing pipe i8 and the seat is flushed.

As the cam 36- leaves the valve 68 .the transformer cam 32 will engagethe transformer switch 64 closing the circuit to the transformer 18,causing current to flow in 8 and heating it to sterilizing temperature.When the cam 32 has moved beyond this switch the switch opens. At aboutthis instant the water control cam 30 will have been moved to positionwhere it will engage and open the cooling water valve 66, to spray thelower side of the seat M until the same is reduced to the temperaturedesired. The cam 36 is of such a length that before the cam cylinder hasmoved to its stopping .pwition, the valve $8 will have been disengagedand automatically closed. At the end of one revolution of the camcylinder the dwell 98 in the cam will have moved under the foot 92 ofthe leaf 9D of the motor switch allowing the motor switch to springopen. All parts are now at restv and in their initial position, allelectric circuits are open, and the seat 8 which has been washed,sterilized and cooled is one in the cover it and the appanatus is readyfor the next operating cycle. It is to be understood that changes may bemade in the details of construction and arrangement of parts, includingthermostatic and automatic controlahereinabwe described withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What is claimed is: s

1. An apparatus of the class described, comprisl ng in combination atoilet seat, a cover therefor, ng and lowering means for the cover,electric means for hating the seat, power driven means for controlling[the raising and lowering of the cover and for controlling the circuitto the electric-heating means. said [power driven means being soarranged that the circuit to the heating means is closed only when thecover has been closed.

2. An apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination atoilet seat, a cover for the same, means for flushing the seat and forelectrically heating .the seat in the order named, and with the cover inclosed position, and cooling means thereafter operative to apply acoolant to .the lower side or face of the seat.

3. An apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination atoilet seat, a cover for the same, means for flushing the seat and forthereafter causing electric current to flow in the seat to heat thesame, with the cover in closed position, and cooling means .thfteroperative to apply a coolant to the. lower side or face of the seat.

4. An apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination atoilet seat, a cover therefor, means operative only with the cover inclosed position for applying a bath of water to the upper side of theseat, means for thereafter electrically heating the seat to asterilizing temperature, and means for thereafter applying a coolant tothe lower side or face of the seat.

5. An apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination atoilet seat, a cover therefor, automatic controlled power driven meansfor raising and lowering the cover, means for flushing the seat, forthereafter electrically heating the seat to sterilizing temperature, andmeans for iinally cooling the seat, said flushing, heating and coolingmeans being cam-controlled, said means being so disposed relatively thatthe flushing, sterilizing and cooling operations will be performed inthe order mentioned and only with the cover in closed position.

6. An apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination atoilet seat, a cover there for, cam-controlled power driven means forraising and lowering the cover, means for flushing the seat, forthereafter heating the seat to sterilizing temperature, and means forfinally cooling the seat, said flushing, heating and cooling means beingcam-controlled, said cams being so disposed relatively that thefiushing, sterilizing and cooling operations will beperformed in theorder mentioned and only with the cover in closed position.

7. An apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination atoilet seat, a cover therefor, a water pipe attached to the lower sideof the cover for supplying a spray of water to the seat when the coveris closed, and means for raising the cover and pipe as a unit.

8. An apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination atoilet seat, a cover therefor, a water spray pipe attached to the lowerside of the cover, a valve controlling the supplying of water to thesaid pipe, a lever for raising and lowering the cover, a motor foractuating the lever, and cams driven by said motor for controlling thecircuit of the motor and the supplying of water to said pipe, said camsbeing so relatively disposed that with the cover raised the water supplyis shut off to said water pipe.

9. An apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination atoilet seat, a cover therefor, a water spray pipe attached to the lowerside of the cover, a valve controlling the supplying of water to thesaid pipe, a lever for raising and lowering the cover, a motor foracutating the lever, and cams driven by said motor for controlling thecircuit of the motor and the supplying of water to said pipe, said camsbeing so relatively disposed that after closure of the cover the saidvalve will be opened automatically to arimit water to the spray pipe.

10. An apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination atoilet seat, a cover therefor, power driven means for raising andlowering the cover, electric means for heating the seat, the electricheating means being operative only when the power driven means haslowered the cover to closed position.

ARTHUR F. HORR.

